Welcome to my DA-P1 Info Page. I hope you find the information you're looking for here. If not, let me know and perhaps I can hunt it down for you. Hopefully, this page will grow and evolve into a central locale for DA-P1 resources on the internet. I welcome any comments and suggestions, as well as links and other resources.

Thanks to Roy Norris who hunted down an actual DA-P1 Owners Manual on the web (2M .pdf)

Thanks to Fred Jan Kraan for his submissions dealing with System Display Test Mode and Level Knob Settings.

I haven't decided how to present all this data yet. It's going to involve a whole lot of data entry. For now, if there is info you need from here send me an email.

Test Modes

The following information was obtained from the Tascam DA-P1 Service Manual...

To enter the test mode(s), hold the STOP, FFWD, and REW buttons down while turning the power on. If you want to cancel the test mode(s), just turn the unit off and back on.

Test Mode: Block Error Rate Measurment

Initially, the deck is in this mode. The indicator for this mode is a "br" appearing as the current program number. If you are in a different test mode, you can enter this mode by pressing MARGIN RESET.

Once you're in this mode, play a tape. The Block Error Rate is displayed in the tape counter section. With each press of MARGIN RESET, you cycle through the available head readings:

Reading Description AH Block Error Rate read by head A bH Block Error Rate read by head B Ab Block Error Rate read by both A and B heads

The numbers that comprise the Block Error Rate are defined as the count of "C1 errors occuring in 128 PCM data blocks per track", displayed as "the number of errors per 10000 blocks (near to 9984, the actual number of blocks occupied by 78 tracks)."

Test Mode: Mechanical

In order to perform any diagnostics in this mode, a test tape (part no. TY-7551) is required. I'm not sure if a regular DAT would work. If anyone experiments with this, I'd appreciate any info you could offer.

Load the test tape. When the tape transport stopped, press ID SELECT, and the indicator for this mode ("ntESt") will appear on the display. Press play, and if the mechanism is fully operational, the tape counter will read "PASS". If an error has been detected, one (or more) of the following messages will be presented on the display:

Error Description Err01 LMS4 didn't go LOW when STOP switched over to PLAY. Err02 LMS1didn't go HIGH when STOP switched over to PLAY. Err03 Drum-ON signal transmitted, but no DFG pulse was detected. Err04 DLOCK doesn't go HIGH whereas the drum "is in function". Err05 Capstan-ON signal transmitted, but no CFG pulse was detected. Err06 CRLOCK doesn't go HIGH whereas the capstan motor "is in function". Err07 No supply reel pulse fed into U327-62 (FGS) whereas the tape is in motion. Err08 No takeup reel pulse fed into U327-62 (FGT) whereas the tape is in motion. Err09 No RF signal detected in play mode. Err10 PLLLOCK doesn't go HIGH. Err11 Not all of the RH2 to RH4 gone LOW. Err17 See Err10. Err1r See Err11.

Test Mode: Switches

Make sure there is no tape loaded in the deck for this mode. To enter this mode, press LIGHT. "rd" will appear as the program number.

Pressing each possible button/switch on the unit will display the associated symbol (see table, below) for each button as it is pressed. After you've pressed or swithed every one, press LIGHT again. If everything operated normally, "PASS" will appear in the display. However, if a button was not pressed, you will see "er" followed by the symbol of the button which did not get pressed (or malfunctioned?).

Pressing COUNTER RESET will cause all display units to turn off. Then, one at a time, each display section will illuminate in sequence. When the test is complete, each component of the display will light up simultaneously. Pressing COUNTER RESET during this test will freeze the test at that point. Releasing the button resumes the test.

Test Mode: System Data Display

Press the COUNTER MODE button to enter this mode. The following info is displayed in sequence: